Spray head for a squeeze bottle

ABSTRACT

A nebulising dispenser head ( 1; 100 ) for a bottle that is elastically deformable by squeezing, comprising a channel of the liquid and a channel of the air obtained in a machine block of the dispenser head ( 1; 100 ) and an ejection tip ( 3 ) provided with a sealing door ( 8 ) hinged in its distal part ( 35 ), the sealing door ( 8 ) being able to rotate by 180 DEG from an open position to a closed position of a discharge orifice of the dispenser head.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a nebulising dispenser head for abottle that is elastically deformable by squeezing, in which a jet of aliquid, contained inside the bottle under a volume of air, is nebulisedby being mixed with part of said volume of air when both fluids, air andliquid, are expelled simultaneously through the dispenser head by effectof the internal pressure generated by the manual squeezing of thebottle.

A dispenser head of this kind is a valid alternative to dispenser headswith micro-pump and to dispenser heads for pressurised containers, withrespect to the former thanks to its lower cost as a result of a simplerconstruction, and with respect to the latter thanks to its reducedenvironmental impact, not requiring a gas bottle with the relatedpressurised gas.

As mentioned above, in dispenser heads for deformable bottle the energyneeded for the nebulisation is provided to the fluid through thesqueezing of the bottle whereon the dispenser head is applied. To allowan adequate nebulisation, generally the dispenser head has a channel ofthe liquid, which on one side is connected to a suction tube which drawsfrom the bottom of the bottle and on the other side ends with a nozzleof the liquid in a mixing chamber in which the jet of liquid is hit byan air current flowing from a channel communicating with the volume ofair inside the bottle, air channel that surrounds the liquid channel andends, like that one, in the mixing chamber upstream of an orifice forthe discharge of the nebulised to the exterior.

To prevent the undesired spillage of the liquid, if the bottle is upsetor squeezed involuntarily, and also to avoid the possible deteriorationof the liquid in contact with the outside air, means for closing thedispenser head have already been provided.

BACKGROUND ART

Some closing means act directly on the output orifice, such as, amongothers, in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,882 granted 5 Feb. 1980. It providesa liquid nebuliser comprising a liquid channel ending with a nozzlesurrounded by the neck of the bottle in which the inflow of air takesplace, a mixing chamber obtained with a closure element applied on theneck of the bottle and provided with an orifice discharging to theexterior.

Although the screw-on cap is currently used on bottles for widelydistributed products, is nonetheless inconvenient: to use the productcontained in the bottle, the cap must be unscrewed, set down some placeand, once its use is complete, the cap must be picked up again andscrewed back on.

To overcome this drawback, which entails time wastage and the risk offorgetting to close the bottle, bottles with nebulising dispenser headswhich can be closed with a manually actuated valve have already beenstudied.

For example, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,304 granted on 31 Jul. 2001,discloses a nebulising dispenser head, in which a sprayer body defininga valve seat with a valve which defines a passage of liquid, one and theother being able to be rotated selectively about their longitudinal axisbetween a closed position and an open position of the valve in which themixing chamber is disconnected from a suction tube and respectivelyconnected thereto; a passage of the air, positioned coaxially around aportion of the passage of the liquid and connecting the interior of thebottle containing a volume of air and said mixing chamber, being closedby the rotation of the valve.

The U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,133, granted on 4 Jun. 2002, discloses anebulising dispenser head for a bottle to be squeezed, in which asprayer body defining a valve seat with valve, the valve, which definesthe converging conduits of liquid and air, being slidably movable alongits own longitudinal axis between a backward closed position and aforward open position, in which the passages of the air and of theliquid are both, respectively, closed and open.

Although the aforementioned patents effectively solve the problem ofclosing the nebulising dispenser head of a bottle that is elasticallydeformable in manual fashion, they achieve this result thanks to valveswhich make their construction more complex and costly. Moreover therotary operation of a valve is inconvenient and does not facilitate usebecause it does not allow clearly to show the opened and closed state ofthe valve. Similarly, in the case of the sliding valve, since thesliding travel is very limited, the exact position of the valve is notperfectly clear.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to obtain means forclosing a nebulising dispenser head for a squeezable bottle with asimple and inexpensive structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for closing anebulising dispenser head for a squeezable bottle whose is use is easyand intuitive.

An additional object of the invention is to provide means for closing anebulising dispenser head for a squeezable bottle which clearlyhighlight to the user its closed or opened state.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide means for closing anebulising dispenser head for a squeezable bottle that does not entailany waste of time in the use of the bottle.

The aforementioned objects are achieved by a nebulising dispenser headfor a bottle that can be elastically deformable by squeezing, comprisinga channel for the liquid, connected at one of its ends to a suction tubewhich draws a liquid contained inside a bottle under a volume of air andterminating, at its other end, with a nozzle for the liquid in a mixingchamber, and a channel for the air communicating with said volume of airof the bottle, surrounding the channel of the liquid and merging withsaid mixing chamber obtained by coupling with a terminal element whichis applied facing said nozzle for the liquid and is provided with anoutwardly discharging nozzle, nebulising dispenser head which, from ageneral point of view, is characterised in that:

-   -   said channel for the liquid and said channel for air are        obtained in a machined block of said dispenser head in the form        of a tubular segment externally provided with ribs and,        respectively, of a wall surrounding said channel for the liquid        with the formation of a tubular compartment, substantially        coaxial to said ribbed tubular segment, said wall having an        opening communicating with said volume of air inside the bottle;    -   said terminal element includes an ejection tip with tubular        element having a cavity that is contoured so it axially narrows        outwards in said discharge orifice and it ends with a diverging        segment, said ejection tip being inserted with a proximal        portion thereof into said ribbed tubular compartment to form        said mixing chamber;    -   externally coaxial to said tubular element being integrally        formed a sleeve provided with an abutment able to define a depth        of insertion of said ejection tip into said tubular segment of        the machined block;    -   a sealing door being integrally hinged in a distal part of said        sleeve, the sealing door being able to rotate by 180° from an        open position to a closed position of said discharge orifice.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention shall be more readily apparent from the detaileddescription that follows of an embodiment thereof, in two variants,considered together with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of a first variant of dispenser head,without the ejection tip with sealing door, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of an ejection tip with dispenser headsealing door according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of the dispenser head of FIG. 1,complete with ejection tip with sealing door in the open condition,according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of a second variant of dispenser head,complete with ejection tip with sealing door in the closed state,according to the invention, the dispenser head having a connection withthe neck of the bottle; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic axonometric view of the dispenser head of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

With reference initially to FIGS. 1 through 3, which are longitudinalsections, the number 1 designates a dispenser head according to thepresent invention for a snap-on coupling with a bottle that iselastically deformable by squeezing (shown only partially in FIG. 3).The reference number 3 designates an ejection tip.

According to the invention, the nebulising dispenser head is formed in asingle machined block 10, in which are obtained a channel for the liquid4 and a channel for air 5.

In the figures that follow the channel of the liquid 4 is shown with ahorizontal tubular segment 40 following a vertical segment 41 whereon isinserted an end of a suction tube 6, with the interposition of aretaining ball 9. It is known (although it is not shown in the figures)that the suction tube 6 is immersed with its other end in a liquidcontained within the bottle 2. The liquid, which is the product to benebulised, is under a volume of air. The horizontal tubular segment 40of the channel of the liquid 4 ends, in its free end, with a nozzle ofthe liquid 7 in a mixing chamber 70. The mixing chamber 70 is formed byapplying the ejection tip 3, as shall be described more in detailhereafter.

As shown, the horizontal segment 40 of the channel of the liquid 4externally has ribs 42 serving reinforcement functions. Moreover, theribs 42 serve to create air passages for the air channel 5 obtained fromthe co-operation of a wall 50 surrounding the segment 40 of the liquidchannel 4 with the ejection tip 3.

In particular, the wall 50 is cylindrical and it forms a tubularcompartment 51 that is substantially coaxial to the ribbed tubularsegment 40. Naturally, the wall 50 may have other than cylindricalshape. The wall 50 has an opening 52 in communication with the internalvolume of air of the bottle. The air channel 5 surrounds the liquidchannel 4 and it merges into the coupling mixing chamber 70 obtainedwith the ejection tip 3.

The ejection tip 3 has a tubular element 30 with its cavity shaped toaxially narrow outwards in a discharge orifice 31 and end with adiverging segment 32.

Externally coaxial to the ejection tip 3 is formed, integrallytherewith, a sleeve 33 provided with an abutment 34 able to define adepth of insertion of the ejection tip 3 into the tubular compartment51.

The ejection tip 3 further comprises a sealing door 8 hinged in theupper part of the sleeve 33, in a distal part 35 thereof. The door is atequilibrium in the open position and it therefore tends spontaneously tocomplete the last part of the opening rotation of 180° from the closedposition.

In particular, the ejection tip 3 has a centring element in the form ofa plate 36 projecting from the sleeve 33 and able to be inserted intothe machined block 10 of the dispenser head 1 in a slit 11 obtainedtherein externally to the tubular compartment 51.

The ejection tip 3 has a cylindrical distal end 37 in correspondencewith the diverging segment 32 of the discharge orifice 31 forming, atits base, an abutment step 38.

The sealing door 8 has, in its face 80 destined to engage the ejectiontip 3, a sealing ring 81 and, coaxially internal thereto, a projectingpivot 82. The sealing ring 81 is destined to abut against the abutmentstep 38 of the distal end of the ejection tip 3 coupling by interferencewith the outer profile of the distal end 37 in such a way as to assuretightness. The projecting pivot 82 is able to be inserted into thediverging final segment 32 of the discharge orifice 31 to favour thecorrect coupling of the parts and also to lock the door in the closedposition.

The wall 50 surrounding the liquid channel 4 has, on the surface thatfaces the tubular segment of the liquid channel, undercut portion s 53,whilst the tubular element 30 of the ejection tip 3 has on its outersurface corresponding projections 39 destined to engage the undercutportions 53.

When, as shown in FIG. 3, the ejection tip 3 is applied to the lock 10of the dispenser head 1, the tubular element 30 is inserted in thetubular compartment 51 of the air channel 5. With the projections 39 ofthe tubular element 30 inserted in the undercut portions 53, the cavityof the tubular element 30 creates the mixing chamber 70, facing thenozzle 7 for the liquid.

In FIG. 3, the sealing door 8 is shown rotated upwards around thevirtual hinge designated 83 in the connecting area with the distalportion of the sleeve 33. This is the open position. The closed positionof the sealing door is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the dispenser head 1 inferiorly has a tubularsnap-on connecting portion 12 internally shaped with protrusions 13circumferentially equidistant towards the interior, able to engage aperipheral projection 20 of the neck of the bottle 2.

With reference to FIG. 4, which is a longitudinal section, a dispenserhead 100 is shown which differs from the dispenser head 1 of FIGS. 1 and3 only in its different connection to the neck of the bottle. Thedispenser head 100 includes a separate collar 120 internally threaded tobe screwed, with the interposition of a gasket 130, onto a bottle neckwith matching thread (not shown). The other identical parts, designatedby the same reference numbers, are not further described herein.

Lastly, FIG. 5 shows an axonometric view of the dispenser head 1 or 100according to the present invention with the sealing door 8 in the closedposition as in FIG. 4.

1. A nebulising dispenser head (1; 100) for a bottle that is elasticallydeformable by squeezing, comprising: liquid channel (4) with first andsecond ends, the liquid channel connected at the first end to a suctiontube (6) which draws a liquid contained within the bottle (2) from undera volume of air, and the liquid channel terminating, at the second end,with a liquid nozzle (7) disposed in a mixing chamber (70), the mixingchamber defined by a terminal element facing said nozzle; an orifice(31) for discharging the liquid outwards from the mixing chamber; and anair channel (5) communicating with said volume of air of the bottle (2),the air channel (5) surrounding the liquid channel (4) and merging intosaid mixing chamber (70) wherein, said liquid channel (4) and said airchannel (5) are formed in a block (10) of said dispenser head (1; 100)as a ribbed tubular segment (40) externally ribbed with ribs (42), saidair channel (5) comprises a wall (50) surrounding said liquid channel(4), said wall (50) defines a tubular compartment (51) substantiallycoaxial to said ribbed tubular segment (40), thereby forming a ribbedtubular compartment, said wall (50) includes an opening (52) forcommunication with said volume of air of the bottle (2), said terminalelement includes an ejection tip (3) with a tubular element (30) havinga cavity shaped to axially narrow outwards in said discharge orifice(31) and terminate with a diverging segment (32), said ejection tip (3)is inserted with a proximal portion thereof into said ribbed tubularcompartment (51) thereby defining said mixing chamber (70), saidejection tip includes a sleeve (33) externally coaxial to said tubularelement (30) and integrally provided with an abutment (34) defining adepth of insertion of the ejection tip into said ribbed tubularcompartment (51) of the block (10), and said ejection tip furtherincludes a sealing door (8) integrally hinged at a distal part (35) ofsaid sleeve (33), the sealing door (8) being rotatable by 180° from anopen position to a closed position of said discharge orifice (31).
 2. Adispenser head (1; 100) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: aslit in the block formed externally to said ribbed tubular compartment(10), wherein, the ejection tip (3) has a centering element, thecentering element being a plate (36) projecting from said sleeve (33)and being insertable into said slit.
 3. A dispenser head (1; 100) asclaimed in claim 1, wherein, said ejection tip (3) has a cylindricaldistal end (37) in correspondence with the diverging segment (32) of thedischarge orifice (31), the distal end (37) comprising an abutment step(38), and said sealing door (8) has a face (80), a sealing ring (81)and, coaxially internal with the sealing ring, a projecting pivot (82),wherein when the sealing door (8) is rotated to the closed position, theface (80) engages with the ejection tip, the sealing ring (81) abutsagainst the abutment step (38), and the projecting pivot (82) enterssaid diverging segment (32) of the discharge orifice (31) to lock thesealing door (8) in the closed position.
 4. A dispenser head (1; 100) asclaimed in claim 1, wherein, said wall (50) surrounding the liquidchannel (4) has, on a surface oriented towards the tubular segment (40)of the liquid channel (4), undercut portions (53), and said tubularelement (30) of the ejection tip (3) has an outer surface withcorresponding projections (39), in use, engaging said undercut portions(53).
 5. A dispenser head (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:a snap-on tubular portion for snap-on connection (12), the snap-ontubular portion internally shaped with circumferentially equidistantprotrusions (13) able to engage a peripheral projection (20) of a neckof the bottle (2).
 6. A dispenser head (100) as claimed in claim 1,further comprising: a gasket (130); and a separate collar (120)internally threaded to be screwed, with interposition of the gasket(130), onto a bottle neck with a matching thread.
 7. A nebulisingdispenser head for use with a bottle containing a liquid and a volume ofair, comprising: a liquid channel (4) with first and second ends; asuction tube (6) connected to the first end, in use the suction tube (6)to draw the liquid contained within the bottle (2) from under the volumeof air; a liquid nozzle with a mixing chamber (70) connected to thesecond end; a terminal element facing said nozzle; an orifice (31), inuse discharging the liquid outwards from the mixing chamber; an airchannel (5) communicating with said volume of air of the bottle (2), theair channel (5) surrounding the liquid channel (4), said liquid channel(4) being formed as an externally ribbed tubular segment (40), said airchannel comprising a wall (50) surrounding said liquid channel (4), saidwall (50) defining a tubular compartment (51) substantially coaxial tosaid ribbed tubular segment (40), thereby forming a ribbed tubularcompartment, said wall (50) having an opening (52), in use, forcommunication with said volume of air of the bottle (2), said terminalelement including an ejection tip (3) with a tubular element (30) havinga cavity axially narrowing outwards in said discharge orifice (31) andterminating with a diverging segment (32), said ejection tip (3)inserted with a proximal portion into said ribbed tubular compartment(51), said ejection tip including a sleeve (33) externally coaxial tosaid tubular element (30) and integrally provided with an abutment (34)defining depth of insertion of the ejection tip into said ribbed tubularcompartment (51), and said ejection tip further including a sealing door(8) integrally hinged at a distal part (35) of said sleeve (33), thesealing door (8) being rotatable from an open position to a closedposition of said discharge orifice (31).
 8. A dispenser head as claimedin claim 7, wherein, the ejection tip (3) comprises a centering element,the centering element is a plate (36) projecting from said sleeve (33).9. A dispenser head as claimed in claim 7, wherein, said ejection tip(3) has a cylindrical distal end (37) in correspondence with thediverging segment (32) of the discharge orifice (31), the distal end(37) comprises an abutment step (38), said sealing door (8) has a face(80) engaging with the ejection tip (3), a sealing ring (81) and,coaxially internal with the sealing ring, a projecting pivot (82), theprojecting pivot (82) enters said diverging segment (32) of thedischarge orifice (31) to lock the sealing door (8) in the closedposition.
 10. A dispenser head as claimed in claim 7, wherein, said wall(50) surrounding the liquid channel (4) has undercut portions (53) on asurface oriented towards the tubular segment (40) of the liquid channel(4), and said tubular element (30) of the ejection tip (3) has an outersurface with corresponding projections (39), in use, said correspondingprojections (39) engaging said undercut portions (53).
 11. A dispenserhead as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: a snap-on tubularportion for snap-on connection (12), the snap-on tubular portioninternally shaped with circumferentially equidistant protrusions (13),in use, to engage a peripheral projection (20) of a neck of the bottle(2).
 12. A dispenser head as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: agasket (130); and a collar (120) internally threaded to be screwed, withinterposition of the gasket (130), onto a bottle neck with a matchingthread.